THE  NATIONAL 
INDIAN  ASSOCIATION 

INCORPORATED  1887 


Meeting  the  Needs 


156  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


Meeting  the  Needs. 

[Reprinted  from  The  Indian’s  Friend ] 

An  employee  in  the  Government 
Indian  Service  to  whom  reports  of 
the  work  of  The  National  Indian  As- 
sociation had  been  sent,  recently 
wrote:  “The  Gospel  is  what  the  In- 

dians need,  and  it  is  such  tidings  as 
these  missionary  notes  that  keep  up 
our  faith  for  their  ultimate  redemp- 
tion. The  Indian  is  as  restless  as 
other  men  now-a-days,  and  not  until 
he  has  the  love  of  God  in  his  heart 
and  consideration  for  his  fellow  man, 
will  he  have  that  sedative  that  enables 
men  to  become  self-supporting  and 
self-respecting  citizens.” 

The  letters  from  our  mission  station 
among  the  Rocky  Boy  Band  of  Chip- 
pewa and  Cree  Indians  in  Montana, 
published  in  the  columns  of  each  issue 
of  this  paper,  tell  of  the  great  needs  of 
those  Indians  and  of  the  earnest  and 
untiring  efforts  of  our  workers  to 
meet  them. 

The  activities  at  that  mission  sta- 
tion include : 

1.  Religious  services  in  the  chapel. 

2.  Visiting  the  Indians  and  placing 

copies  of  the  New  Testament 


in  the  Cree  language  in  the 
homes. 

3.  Evening  school  for  the  young 

men  who,  by  reason  of  their 
heretofore  nomadic  life,  have 
not  had  educational  advantag- 
es. 

4.  Boys’  club  with  manual  training 

and  indoor  and  outdoor  games. 

5.  Women’s  meetings  for  sewing, 

helpful  talks,  games,  social 
hour  and  luncheon. 

6.  Girls’  club  with  various  features, 

such  as  sewing,  games  and 
luncheon. 

7.  Fresh  air  room,  where  a sick  In- 

dian needing  special  care  is 
looked  after  by  our  workers. 

8.  Sick  and  needy  relief  (including 

supplies  of  fresh  milk,  eggs 
and  other  nourishing  food,  and 
the  dispensing  of  simple  home 
remedies  in  case  of  minor  ill- 
ness). 

9.  Bead-work  industry — now  devel- 

oped by  our  workers  to  the 
point  where  it  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  support  of  sever- 
al Indian  families. 


This  bare  enumeration  of  the  varied 
activities  at  Rocky  Boy  Mission  indi- 
cates a community  work  which  help- 
fully touches  those  hitherto  neglected 
Indians  at  every  point  of  human  need. 
But  the  financial  support  received  is 
inadequate,  and  the  work  will  suffer 
unless  a larger  support  is  given  to  it. 
Instead  of  the  work  being  curtailed,  it 
should  be  enlarged.  Further  expan- 
sion is  not  possible  until  the  present 
work  is  adequately  supported. 

After  several  decades  of  wandering, 
the  Rocky  Boy  Indians  are  permanent- 
ly settled.  They  have  not  had  the  ad- 
vantages which  most  Indian  tribes 
have  had,  and  we  are  helping  them 
along  the  new  trail  which  leads  to 
Christian  American  citizenship.  They 
will  be  retarded  in  their  forward 
steps  if  this  work  is  cut  down.  Will 
you  not  help  to  prevent  any  retrogres- 
sion by  sending  a contribution  toward 
the  support  of  the  work  to  the  Treas- 
urer of  The  National  Indian  Associa- 
tion. 156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York? 

New  York, 


